Popular Rapid Test Kits By Beth A. Stevens

Watch any medical or crime investigation television show and you'll see numerous instances of tests performed looking for diseases or drugs. Amazingly, the results always seem to come back right after the commercial break. In just a few minutes, the doctor makes the diagnosis and the police officer makes the arrest. It seems pretty farfetched, doesn't it? However, reality is that many types of tests for many different substances and medical conditions are almost as fast as their TV counterparts. Today's pregnancy tests are almost instant while many drug tests show results in just minutes. Other types of speedy tests include those for allergies, cardiac markers, cancer and infectious diseases. When it comes to certain diseases and substances, time really is of the essence. The sooner a diagnosis can be made, the sooner treatment can begin and the more effective it will be. For some infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, a fast diagnosis and treatment is the best way to stop the disease from spreading. The good news is technology has made it possible for an extremely wide range of conditions and drugs to be detected within a very short amount of time. The following is a list of some of the most commonly used rapid tests.* Allergy tests. This particular test looks for elevated levels of immunoglobulin E (total IgE) and is known as the IgE Rapid Serum Test. The test is a qualitative immunoassay and works in as little as five minutes. The test is helpful in the diagnosis of both IgE-mediated allergic and autoimmune disorders. The diagnostic test kits are reliable, inexpensive and easy to use.* Cancer tests. There are several different types of rapid cancer tests. One of the most common looks for Carcinoma Embryonic Antigen (CEA), which is used to diagnose breast, lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Because prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, tests that detect the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) are used quite frequently. A third common rapid cancer test looks for Alpha Fetoprotein, which in addition to aiding in the diagnosis of testicular and liver cancers, also helps detect neural tube defects in unborn babies.* Cardiac tests. Time is a critical factor when it comes to diagnosing myocardial infarctions, otherwise known as heart attacks. The test looks for creatine kinase MB, an indication of heart attack, and is complete within 10 minutes. Another commonly used test looks for troponin as a cardiac marker instead of creatine kinase MB. The test is safe and the results are accurate, and can be obtained in about 15 minutes. * Drug tests. The list of substances drug tests can detect is extremely long. However, most drug tests look for illegal substances. Because many illegal drugs leave the system extremely quickly, testing for them in a timely manner is extremely important. Often a preliminary test is used to determine if a particular drug is present and then a more comprehensive, analytical test can be used to confirm.* Infectious disease tests. To reduce the spread of infectious disease, it's critical to test for and diagnose the disease as quickly as possible. Salmonella, mononucleosis and leishmania can be detected with a rapid test in addition to diseases such as HIV, STDs, malaria, dengue fever, strep and H. pylori.* Fertility, ovulation and pregnancy tests. Fertility tests are quick and easy, and look for FSH (human Follicular Stimulating Hormone). Ovulation tests look for FSH (human Follicular Stimulating Hormone) surges that indicate when ovulation will occur. Pregnancy tests look for hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin), which is present soon after conception.